Incubators Anonymous

[R2elk]

I keep mine is separate pens, but I am running out of pens.

Yeah well, I only have one brooder and one holding pen and multiple varieties of chicks. Of course my brooder is 4'x4' and easily holds lots of chicks. I need to get it cleaned and ready for the next hatch which is due Monday.

I wasn't happy yesterday since I had to fire up the lawnmower for the first time as the grass is getting out of control. It was just last Sunday that it had 2 1/2" of snow on it.

 

[duluthralphie]

Lawn mower good, Snow bad!

I like the fingernail polish on the head, I am going to do that. I have been trying bands on the legs and they fall off all the time, I end up with 20 chicks that look alike with 7 bands of different colors on the floor.

I have larger brooders, in the house I have 18'36, 24'x36" and 3'x5'. In the shed I have 4- 6'x6 brooders, 2-3'x8 and 5 stock tanks of various sizes. My wife thinks I have too many brooders, chicks and incubators.

I will get some fingernail polish.

 

[duluthralphie]

I run around 50% humidity in the incubators, when I move them to the foam hatchers I run 60-80%. I am still getting a lot of heat shrinking and picking chick out of dry eggs.

Any ideas?

 

[R2elk]

I run around 50% humidity in the incubators, when I move them to the foam hatchers I run 60-80%. I am still getting a lot of heat shrinking and picking chick out of dry eggs.

Any ideas?

They call it lockdown for a reason. I normally leave the hatcher closed until the hatch is finished. I recall that you keep opening your hatchers even when pipping and zipping is going on.

I try to run the humidity at 30-35% (except guinea eggs) for incubation and about 70% for hatching. If I have to open the hatcher while pipping and zipping is happening, I mist the inside of the hatcher with warm water to get the humidity back up as quickly as possible. Do not spray the water directly on the eggs. The last hatch had no shrink wrapped chicks.

 

[duluthralphie]

They call it lockdown for a reason. I normally leave the hatcher closed until the hatch is finished. I recall that you keep opening your hatchers even when pipping and zipping is going on.

I try to run the humidity at 30-35% (except guinea eggs) for incubation and about 70% for hatching. If I have to open the hatcher while pipping and zipping is happening, I mist the inside of the hatcher with warm water to get the humidity back up as quickly as possible. Do not spray the water directly on the eggs. The last hatch had no shrink wrapped chicks.

Yea, I do open it. I think I will mist it. I am going to make new hatchers next year.

If I do not open it and add wet sponges my humidity drops to below 30.
Thanks.

 

[Jessimom]

I never thought about using nail polish on the chicks. I'll have to try that if I can ever figure out which one is which when they all hatch at night. I can guess I suppose! I've tried all types of baskets but the chicks just hop right out of them. I'll need to start hatching one type of chick at a time!


Currently in lock down I have 11 Frizzled EE's, 10 EEs and 6 Silkies. I was not at home last night, so I am trusting on family to give me accurate reports. They said 1 hatched and 9 or more pips. They couldn't tell me which egg hatched. But I should have lots of babies when I get home!!!

YAY for chicken addictions!!!!

 

[Jessimom]

Yea, I do open it. I think I will mist it. I am going to make new hatchers next year.

If I do not open it and add wet sponges my humidity drops to below 30.
Thanks.

I have started using puppy pads underneath the eggs, then using a large syringe (no needle) with fish tank aerating tubing to feed water through the ventilation holes. I also have an aerator running through warm water and pumping that warm air into the incubator at hatch time. I have photos of the aerator, but not the adding water system
.

 

[R2elk]

I never thought about using nail polish on the chicks. I'll have to try that if I can ever figure out which one is which when they all hatch at night. I can guess I suppose! I've tried all types of baskets but the chicks just hop right out of them. I'll need to start hatching one type of chick at a time!


Currently in lock down I have 11 Frizzled EE's, 10 EEs and 6 Silkies. I was not at home last night, so I am trusting on family to give me accurate reports. They said 1 hatched and 9 or more pips. They couldn't tell me which egg hatched. But I should have lots of babies when I get home!!!

YAY for chicken addictions!!!!

Just wire a screen over the baskets and the chicks won't jump out. The hatcher I use has covered hatching trays along with a nice high sided tray on the bottom. I just segregate eggs in different trays and if more segregation is needed, I add 1/4" wire mesh dividers in the trays.

Good luck.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just wire a screen over the baskets and the chicks won't jump out. The hatcher I use has covered hatching trays along with a nice high sided tray on the bottom. I just segregate eggs in different trays and if more segregation is needed, I add 1/4" wire mesh dividers in the trays.

Good luck.

I do something similar, I put the eggs into hatchers according to their breeds. Hopefully I can tell the apart. It is amazing how many babies all look alike. Of course, I think that every time a new mother wants me to say something nice about their new born brats.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I never thought about using nail polish on the chicks.  I'll have to try that if I can ever figure out which one is which when they all hatch at night.  I can guess I suppose!  I've tried all types of baskets but the chicks just hop right out of them.  I'll need to start hatching one type of chick at a time!


Currently in lock down I have 11 Frizzled EE's, 10 EEs and 6 Silkies.  I was not at home last night, so I am trusting on family to give me accurate reports.  They said 1 hatched and 9 or more pips.  They couldn't tell me which egg hatched.    But I should have lots of babies when I get home!!!

YAY for chicken addictions!!!!  

I use mesh laundry bags for delicates. The baskets I use fit nicely inside them and the chicks can't get out of them. I think I can fit 1 doz eggs in each basket.